Pictures are hung in various environments for different reasons. For example, at home, a picture may be hung for decorative reasons whereas in a gallery a picture may be hung to display the picture to a wide audience. In offices, pictures are used to decorate the office interior and can also be employed as a status symbol for that company. In all such cases, the means for hanging the picture should not detract from the picture and is preferably thus as unobtrusive as possible.
Track systems are known for displaying pictures, for example as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. Such systems generally include an elongate track that is fastened to a wall, a lower portion of the track being configured to receive a hook or, at an open end, the enlarged head of a catch that is slidably received in the track.
In such systems a cord can be attached to the hook or catch which in turn is attached to the picture to be hung. Alternatively, the catch itself projects downwardly to a position where a picture can be attached directly thereto. With such arrangements, the catch can be moved along the track so as to provide alternative positions for hanging the picture on the wall.
Such systems suffer however from certain problems. Firstly, with the arrangements shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the catch member projects below the track and thus detracts from the appearance of the picture being displayed. With the arrangements shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, additional catch members can be introduced into the track only from an open end thereof. Hence, if an additional picture is to be hung between existing pictures then all the pictures between the desired position and the open end of the track have to be taken down from their respective hooks or catches and shifted along one hook or catch. This can involve a large amount of work and discourages the moving around of pictures, for example to evaluate their best position, and reduces the inclination to swap picture or to introduce additional pictures.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a picture hanging system that seeks to alleviate such problems associated with known arrangements.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a picture hanging system comprising an elongate support member arranged for attachment to a wall or ceiling so as to define a cavity, an opening for the cavity including a projection arranged to restrict the width of the opening; and
a picture mounting means comprising a rigid element for attachment to a support means for the picture; PA1 wherein the rigid element is configured so as to be insertable through the opening in a first orientation thereof and to be movable within the cavity into a second orientation thereof, in which second orientation the element cannot pass through the opening. PA1 a picture mounting means comprising a cord attached to a rigid element; PA1 wherein the rigid element is configured so as to be insertable through the opening and, upon subsequent downward movement of the cord, to be pivotable in relation to the cord so as to catch on the ledge portion.
With such an arrangement, when a picture is hun using the system, all that the observer will see is the elongate support member and the picture support means. The elongate support member can take the form of a rail and be placed high on the wall, and thus generally out of view, and the picture support means can take the form of a cord, e.g. formed of a substantially transparent material such as nylon, so that the appearance of the picture is not spoiled by any support structure.
Furthermore, the system for attaching the picture mounting means within the elongate support member allows support at any position along its length. Hence, extra pictures can be readily added at any position between existing pictures.
The arrangement of the rigid element and the picture support means allows the rigid element to be easily inserted into and removed from the support member. Once correctly inserted the load applied by way of a picture attached to the picture mounting means acts to securely wedge the rigid element in place within the support member. The picture hanging system thus affords a reliable, strong and durable means for hanging pictures.
Preferably, the elongate support member comprises two parts that are configured to snap-fit together. In this manner, a first said part can be readily fixed to an appropriate wall or ceiling surface, using a suitable connection means, without obstruction from the second part. Once in place, the second part can be snap-fitted to the first part to cover the means of connection of the first part to the wall or ceiling. The second part thus acts at least partly as a cover plate which can be removed if the elongate support member is ever to be taken down and/or repositioned.
Conveniently, the projection is provided on the second part. The connection between the first and second parts may conveniently be arranged so that any load applied by the picture mounting means acts to bias the first and second parts together.
The component parts of the elongate support member are preferably formed of aluminum, produced e.g. by extrusion techniques. Suitable alternative materials may include other metals or plastics. Suitable alternative forming techniques may include roll-forming.
In a further embodiment, the elongate support member may be a single profile with openings for facilitating installation of the elongate support member on the wall or ceiling. Such openings may be coverable by, for example, a clip-on cover.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a picture hanging system comprising an elongate support member for attachment to a wall or ceiling, the support member having at least one ledge portion that defines, in use, an edge of an opening arranged to be on the underside of the support member; and